Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake {Video}

Apple French Toast Casserole is filled with tart apples and French bread soaked in a brown sugar and cinnamon custard before baking with a buttery cinnamon streusel on top. It’s sweet, decadent, and the perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch recipe.

If you are looking for more overnight French toast recipes, you may also love this Mixed Berry French Toast Bake, Coconut French Toast Bake, or Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast Bake. And if you love cream cheese, this Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole is amazing too.

Apple French Toast Casserole

As far as cooler weather breakfasts go, this cinnamon apple baked French toast is one of the coziest. It’s filled with chunks of your favorite French toast bread, loads of apples, baking spices, and a buttery cinnamon sugar streusel topping.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make it the night before. The next morning, just pull it out while you preheat the oven and bake away while you enjoy your morning coffee.

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake Video Tutorial

Key Ingredients

• French Bread – a large loaf of French bread works great, as does a large loaf of challah or brioche. Cut the bread into 1″ chunks.
• Apples – I like to use crisp, tart apples that will hold up well to baking. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Gala apples are all great choices. You can either peel or not – it’s up to you. Then dice into 1/2″ pieces.
• Milk – you can use whole milk or 2% milk for the custard.
• Eggs – any type of large eggs work great. They hold the custard together and keep it from getting soupy or soggy.
• Brown Sugar – you can use either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give you a stronger molasses flavor.
• Baking Spices – I like to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves but feel free to use a combination of your favorite baking spices. Ground ginger would taste great, too. You will need a little more than 1 teaspoon total.

Cinnamon Sugar Streusel

• Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter. Make sure it is soft by either pulling out ahead of time to room temperature or warming gently in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
• Brown Sugar – again, either light or dark brown sugar will work. It just depends on the flavor profile you prefer. The darker the sugar, the more molasses flavor.
• Flour – all-purpose flour works great.
• Cinnamon – use your favorite ground cinnamon.

How To Make Apple Cinnamon French Toast

1. Prepare the bread and apples. Cut your bread into 3/4″- 1″ chunks and add to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish that is lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add your apples, too, then set aside.
2. Make the egg mixture. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk well.  Add the milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and whisk again until all ingredients are well-combined.
3. Combine the bread, apples, and egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the bread and apples and fold together until all the bread chunks are coated.
4. Refrigerate. Cover the French toast bake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-48 hours.
5. Make the streusel. To make the streusel, add the room temperature butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a medium sized mixing bowl.  Stir or mix with your hands until the mixture forms 1/4″ pieces. Sprinkle the streusel over the prepared apple cinnamon french toast.
6. Bake. Allow the baking dish to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Recipe Variations

Feel free to get creative and experiment with different combinations and ingredients:

• Maple Pecan: Drizzle maple syrup over the finished French toast bake and generously sprinkle with toasted pecans.
• Mixed Berry: Before baking, toss mixed berries into the custard.
• Cream Cheese Swirl: Whip cream cheese so that it is nice and soft, then swirl into the custard filling just before baking.
• Caramel Apple: Drizzle a generous amount of warm caramel sauce over the top just before serving.
• Chocolate Chip: To make this even sweeter, add a handful of chocolate chips to the mixture before baking. As they melt, the chocolate will create pockets of gooey goodness throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing And Reheating Instructions

• Refrigerator: store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: freeze the unbaked French toast casserole by wrapping well with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and storing frozen for up to 1 month.  Pull it from the freezer the day before you plan to serve and let it defrost in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, pull out to room temperature and bake as directed.
• Reheating: reheat in a 320 degree oven, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.

More Of The Best Apple Recipes

• Apple Crisp
• Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread
• Sausage and Apple Stuffing
• Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip
• Caramel Apples
• Apple Bread
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Snickers Apple Salad
• More Breakfast Recipes
• More French Toast Recipes

Apple Cinnamon French Toast is an easy and delicious french toast bake you can make ahead of time.  This overnight breakfast casserole is the perfect addition to any brunch menu if you have a crowd to feed or a holiday breakfast meal.